A Violinist's Hands
by Aleyn Cravex
Summary: A sequel to "Oaken Dusk". Sofia's curiosity leads her to a new discovery about a special someone.


The light of the moon cascaded from the heavens, seeping through the windows of Sofia's bedroom. It trickled through the still air inside, illuminating the fair skin of her face. She stirred, turning over in her bed. Sitting up, she glanced over, through the window and into the black abyss of the sky; dotted with stars, and lined with a strip of the galaxy. She smiled to herself, thinking about what her beloved sorcerer had taught her about space. His knowledge ranged from planets to foreign galaxies, and she was grateful to have learned from him.

She stopped herself in mid-thought, feeling a slight wave of heat creep across her cheeks. Any thought about her lover always made her heart flutter in her chest. It had been maybe four months since her birthday, when she finally opened up to him about her feelings. As far as she knew, no one had any idea about their partnership. She planned on waiting for just a little while longer.

Wondering about her dear Cedric, she slid off the edge of her bed, and into her slippers. Soundlessly shutting her bedroom door, she edged along the inner walls of the castle, heading to the sorcerer's tower. Knowing him, he would still be awake, even if it was an ungodly hour of the night. It was not the first time she had snuck out after dark to go see him. But, usually, he knew about it in advance, and would already be waiting for her near the gardens.

As she passed through the banquet hall, ever closer to the spiraling flight of stairs that led up to his workshop, she could have sworn that she heard the faint draw of a violin's bow. She waited a moment, listening intently, trying to figure out where the serenade was coming from. It was as beautiful as it was chilling. She shuffled quietly up to the spiral staircase, and the sound was even closer. Without a doubt in her mind, the music was coming from Cedric's workshop. Beginning her ascent, she was careful to stay silent, not wishing to disturb Cedric.

Slinking up to his door, the sound was perfectly audible now. She peered through a crack in the wood, astonished by her findings. None other than the great sorcerer himself was standing in the middle of his workshop, submerged in the silvery glow of the moon, playing a violin. She watched in awe, her heart throbbing at his perfect display of skill and grace with such a difficult instrument. Transfixed by each and every movement, she stood there, electrified.

He swayed to his own rhythm, his shoulders rising and dropping with each emphasized climax in the music he created. Whenever he turned around, Sofia saw his face twisted with a range of emotions, but his eyes always closed in solemn concentration. But most of all, she noticed his hands. The way they moved perfectly, never missing a note, never losing the tempo, fast or slow. How he created the vibrato in some parts of his playing amazed her. She wanted to get closer, to see more of his precise movements along the neck of the violin, to get a clearer look at each of the emotions that flashed across his face.

Without warning, the door gave way. She did not realize that she was leaning on the handle, or that it was unlocked to begin with. Falling forward, she hit the floor, knocking the wind out of her lungs. Cedric stopped dead, accidentally causing the strings to screech. He jumped back in surprise, hiding the violin and the bow behind his back.

"S-Sofia…are you alright?" He set the instrument behind a stack of books, then proceeded to help his princess up to her feet. "What are you doing up? We didn't arrange a walk tonight."

"I'm okay. Thank you, dear." She brought him down for a quick kiss, all the while shutting and locking the door while he was distracted. "I couldn't sleep, and wondered if you were still awake."

"Well, I…um…I was just tidying up a bit." He smiled sheepishly, hoping that he could keep her from asking about his playing.

"You're a terrible liar, my love." Sofia laughed quietly, sitting on the edge of his desk. "Why didn't you tell me you're a violinist?"

"Oh, Merlin's Mushrooms. It's embarrassing, Sofia." He pinched the bridge of his nose, leaning against the wall opposite of where she was sitting.

"I don't understand how. You sounded amazing." She scooted over, patting the empty space next to her as a welcoming gesture to him. Without hesitation, he joined her at his desk, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Thank you, Sofia. I'm glad you think so. But really…you have no idea how much I was picked on at school for wanting to play the violin. All of the other violin students were girls." He leaned over and picked up the beautifully carved instrument. "My father tried getting me to pick up the contrabass, since I insisted on a string instrument, but I had no interest. I couldn't even carry it."

"It shouldn't matter, though, Cedric. It's something you love, and that's what's important." She leaned into him, getting a closer look at his violin. It was very well taken care of, it seemed. It appeared to be polished regularly, with new strings, and not a single scratch on the frame. How had she never known this about him? She decided to push her luck. "Would you play for me?"

Cedric's blush was invisible in the darkness of his tower. No one had ever asked him to play before. As much as he wanted to refuse out of sheer embarrassment, he could not bring himself to say no to his beloved. "Well, uh…I suppose. But only for you, Sofia."

Sofia giggled, letting herself get comfortable has Cedric stood up once more. Handing his robe over to her, he waltzed back to the center of his workshop, once again glowing brilliantly in the light of the moon. Taking a moment to breathe, he plucked each of the strings, listening for any imperfections in the sound. Satisfied, he smiled to himself, and closed his eyes, lowering the bow to the strings.

With only the sound of Cedric's music playing with the acoustics of the stone room, she was completely astounded. The world around her ceased to exist. All there was, was beautifully oscillating music, the sorcerer's unique, intoxicating scent on his robe, the vivid emotion in each of his movements and facial expressions, and his hands. They appeared both strong yet gentle, nimble yet fierce. She could only wonder how much practice time they had endured to become so agile.

Her mind wandered while watching him, admiring his seemingly delicate frame that was always hidden under a heavy robe. Thinking back, she had never actually seen him without it. He may have been slender, but he was not without muscle. She leaned forward on the desk, holding his robe closer, taking in the scent of sandalwood, sage, and his natural musk. Smiling to herself, she nuzzled her face into the soft velvet, closing her eyes, but only briefly. Her attention quickly went back to his hands. Something about them just made her wonder.

Cedric, with his eyes closed as he played on, never noticed Sofia walk up to him. She waited for him to finish his playing before she stood on her toes, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He stumbled back, not expecting anything, and nearly fell into Wormwood's perch. The raven squawked in agitation, earning an apology from the baffled sorcerer.

"Absolutely beautiful, Cedric." She waited for him to set the instrument down before wrapping her arms around his waist. "Every last bit of it. Thank you."

He chuckled quietly, pulling her closer to him. "No, thank you, my dear." Leaning in, he touched his forehead to hers. He ran his sleek hands down the small of her back, then up again, making her shudder. The fingers on his left hand twitched and tapped down the length of her spine, while his right hand made gentle, steady sweeps across her back. She responded well to his ministrations, holding him tighter, and nuzzling her face into his chest. Resting his head on hers, he took in the faint scent of lilac, which she knew he adored, and momentarily lost himself.

Sofia turned her head up, meeting his lips softly. His breath hitched in his throat, and his hand movements faltered, but only for a second. If only she knew what her presence alone did to him; how it made his heart swell, and his mind fall away from the world altogether. Time stopped when she was with him. Neither of them would have it any other way.

"Tell me, Cedric." Sofia reluctantly broke away first, reaching around behind her and taking one of his hands. She swayed her hips, taking him along with her through the moonlit room. "How long did it take for your hands to become so skilled?" She pressed her thumb into the meaty part of his palm, rubbing it, and her fingers along the back of his hand. He was indeed strong, but always so gentle with her.

"Well, my love, think of it this way." He flipped her hand over in his, bringing it to his lips briefly. "I began playing when I was four years old, every day, until my fingers bled."

Sofia sighed blissfully, bringing his hand to her face and holding it there. He grinned bashfully, running his thumb across her cheek. Little did he know, he had the same effect on her as she did on him. He felt Sofia's heartbeat against the knife's edge of his hand, where it met the pressure point under her jaw. For a moment, he felt afraid, wondering if she was falling ill, but the look on her face said it all. It elated him to know that she was just as love-stricken as he.

Now knowing her lover's best-kept secret, Sofia swore silently to herself that she would never tell anyone, lest Cedric give her permission. However, she wanted to indulge herself with her newfound knowledge. Taking his free hand, she placed it over her heart, watching for his reaction. He only lifted an eyebrow in response, waiting for her to speak.

"Show me what you can do."

That command itself was enough to let Cedric know exactly what his princess wanted. It was easy enough to read from her. She must have thought he never noticed her staring at his hands while he played. He shut his eyes, starting off slowly, pressing his palm down lightly onto her sternum. His fingers rapped quickly and firmly along the delicate lines of her collar bone. The pressure was not enough to cause discomfort, as it resembled a massage in a way. That hand trailed down one of her shoulders, his slender digits dragging and tapping melodically along the way.

The other hand slid its way up to the nape of her neck, then in one quick swipe down the length of her spine. As he did this, he pressed his thin, scorching lips firmly to hers. Sofia practically melted, never before experiencing such an innocently intimate ritual. She cupped his face in her trembling hands, her breathing palpitating like her heart. The sorcerer's palms moved up and down her rib cage, tracing the outline of her womanly figure through her thin nightgown. They brushed along the shape of her hip bones, then came back up past her sternum, and around her back once more.

This cycle continued, perhaps for an hour or two after it had begun. Cedric memorized every last one of his beloved's perfect features, just by touching and rubbing them over and over again. Sofia would never forget such a tantalizing encounter, either. Temptation without risk or regret. Although nothing serious occurred between the two, she considered that night to be a major step forward in developing a more intimate and understanding relationship with the man she adored. She would never give that up, not even for the world.

The eerie twilight of the breaking day soon crept over the hills in the distance, showering the sky in a violent opalescence. Sofia begrudgingly bid her lover goodbye, so as to sneak back into her room without being caught. Exhausted, she locked her door and clambered back into her bed, a faint smile playing on her lips as she recalled the events of the night. She was already determined to do it over again, from the music to the closeness. Unbeknownst to her, Cedric was already writing the next sonata, just for her.


End file.
